builders of dreams, builders of futures
We’re a team of seasoned coaches and Life Design experts helping individuals gain clarity on what’s next, build the confidence to unlock their full potential, and ultimately access choice-filled lives.
OUR TEAM
PRESIDENT & FOUNDER
Gaby Jordan
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Gaby Jordan is the President and Founder of Human Better EDU. She has a deep passion for empowering parents, students, administrators and faculty across all levels of education that stems from her own commitment to education and students thriving.
Gaby is a former singing litigator who practiced law for 15 yrs in midtown Manhattan (NYC) for a national law firm. She still sings but no longer tries cases in the courtroom. Her dedication to Human Better EDU’s mission and appreciating the value of education started at a young age. Gaby was raised by a single mother who worked tirelessly against the odds to provide an education for her, which resulted in Gaby being the first in her own family to attend college, and then law school.
For 20 years, she has led programming in over 80 universities and educational institutions, both domestically and internationally, including Massachusetts Institute of Technology, London School of Economics, Stanford Graduate Schools of Business and Medicine, NYU, Columbia, Yale, Vienna U of Economics and Business, University of Texas at Austin, and in the NYC public school systems, to name a few.
Gaby is also an executive life coach and has trained individuals and teams for over 30 years, and she served as EVP for a prominent executive coaching company where, from 2006-2022 she coached entrepreneurs, executives, senior leaders, managers in major companies.
Gaby is the mother of two grown daughters and lives in New York City with her husband Robert where they (as singers) love to make music together.
DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS & LIFE COACH
Ayla Davidson
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Ayla Davidson is a Human Better EDU Coach and Director of Operations who helps individuals and educators design lives that truly fulfill them. Ayla led a recent strategic planning process for Human Better, designed and runs the Coach Training Program, and is the brains behind the organization's marketing efforts.
Ayla comes to Human Better with a background in arts and education. She holds a BA in Theatre and a Master of Arts in Teaching (K–6) from Bennington College and has over 17 years of experience working as a Teaching Artist in educational theatre along the East Coast and abroad in Germany and Italy. She continues to bring her love of the arts to her local community, empowering students through creative expression on stage, in the classroom, and in the community.
Her work in the arts pairs naturally with her role as a coach and the Human Better belief that “you are the driver of your life.” As a proud graduate of the Human Better EDU Coach Training Program, Ayla works with clients of all ages to help them clarify their vision and design a path forward at a pace that serves them. She looks forward to bringing this work into her local school district, supporting both students and educators and parents.
Ayla lives in the woods of Connecticut with her husband and two sons, where she enjoys being a mom, serving on the PTO, swimming in the nearby lake, seeing live theatre, and trying new recipes.
PROGRAM LEADER & EXECUTIVE LIFE COACH
Casey Seidenberg
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Casey Seidenberg brings 20+ years of marketing, communications, and leadership experience to her coaching. After graduating with honors from Cornell, she worked in New York publishing and San Francisco tech before realizing her true passion: helping people thrive at work and in life.
Casey helps clients get clear about what they want, identify what’s holding them back, and step into their best selves as leaders and as individuals. She is fulfilling her dream of empowering teens by teaching in high schools nationwide, boosting students’ mental wellness and healthy development. She believes we can change the world by developing the next generation of young leaders. She also leads educator training programs to empower teachers to bring social emotional curriculum into their classrooms.
She co-founded Nourish Schools, co-authored The Super Food Cards, and wrote a long-running Washington Post column on kids and nutrition. She has served on the Board of Children’s Hospital in DC and is currently Board Chair of The River School.
Above all, Casey loves being a mom to her three kids, and shares life in Washington, DC, with her husband Nick, her college sweetheart.
LEAD TECH & OPERATIONS ASSISTANT
Tammy Trujillo
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Tammy Trujillo wrote a dream back in 2019 (pre-pandemic) to work with bright lights from near and far from her corner of the world and her dream has come true. As a lifelong student she made her way to Human Better EDU by way of the Coach Training Program.
Tammy joined HB EDU in 2020 and quickly learned how to navigate the world of ZOOM. She is now the Tech + Operations Lead connecting humans across the globe with the HB EDU team. She loves having a front row seat (via Zoom) of our global team in action and witnessing the impact of our work in and out of the classroom with the people we serve. It is a testament that it is never too early or too late to human better.
Tammy grew up in the central valley of California and attended school at both Fresno City College and Fresno State University. She also studied abroad at Regents College in London, England and traveled more than studied. After college she taught windsurfing on a national tour traveling to different parts of the United States and Mexico. She also has kayaked class 5 rapids and rock climbed with Royal Robbins, the first man to climb Half Dome in Yosemite. Royal taught her to “Love what you do and the rest will follow.”
Tammy has spent most of her life surrounded by kids as a mom, a new grand-mom and as the founder of a small non-profit teaching yoga + mindfulness to children young and old including teenage mommas and their babies, incarcerated teenage moys (man + boys), foster youth, homeless youth, and senior citizens in the rural community of Rio Vista, California an hour east of San Francisco. Her happy place is being outdoors: playing, walking, hiking, taking photos, paddle boarding or renovating her little house on the Delta with the help of YouTube.
EXPERT LIFE COACH & COACH INSTRUCTOR
Suzee Edwards
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Suzee Edwards was raised in Los Angeles, CA and graduated from UCLA with a Bachelor of Music degree and Cal State Northridge as a Music Therapist. She worked as a studio violinist until she left the music industry to see what the corporate world had to offer.
Suzee’s nationwide search led her to work with Barkley Court Reporters where she was responsible for recruiting and managing more than 100 reporters across the State of California.
In 2004, Suzee moved with her family to Jupiter, FL and decided to open up a pole dancing studio (yes!) and in 2008 became a yoga instructor.
Although her business was thriving, the truth was her 10 year marriage wasn’t. In search of a way to fix it, Suzee and her husband did everything from breath work to marriage counseling. They finally landed on life coaching. Although all the modalities helped, this was the first time Suzee realized she also had to take responsibility for her impact on what was failing in their marriage and work to be vulnerable and honest about what she truly needed. She fell in love with this style of life coaching which drastically improved so many areas of her life. So much so, she decided to become an executive life coach herself. No surprise, Suzee’s passion and expertise lie in the area of love, family, hard conversations, finding and following your passion, and, of course, health and fitness. She works with clients all over the world.
Suzee & Phillip have been married for 21 years, have two children, one dog, and several yoga mats.
PROGRAM LEADER, EXECUTIVE LIFE COACH & REGIONAL DIRECTOR, EUROPE
Bettina Wertheim
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With over 20 years as a corporate communications professional in tourism, transport, retail, arts, and science, Bettina brings a broad understanding of various organizations and their specific challenges. She has worked as an executive consultant for multi-corporate enterprises, for small family-owned businesses, for high-tech startups, and for nonprofits.
Bettina is an executive coach who supports executives, managers, entrepreneurs and educators globally to produce results that make them happy, proud and inspired – both professionally and personally.
She is deeply passionate about bringing our coaching methodology to higher education: What an opportunity to equip young individuals, who are about to enter their careers, with the powerful tools to design the lives of their dreams. As well as helping faculty to unlock their full potential.
As a program leader, she was involved in introducing Human Better EDU at leading Business Schools in Vienna, Berlin, London, and Lisbon. Bettina leads seminars, coaches individuals, and, in her role as Regional Director Europe, spearheads Human Better EDU’s expansion in Europe.
Bettina graduated from Berlin University of the Arts with a degree in Communication in Social and Economic Contexts, and is a certified quality management auditor. She is happily married, has a teenage son, is a passionate yoga practitioner and horseback rider, loves classical music, and watching movies on big screens. Bettina coaches and leads programs in English and in German.
PROGRAM LEADER & EXECUTIVE LIFE COACH
Osnat Nissani
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Osie Nissani is a highly seasoned Business Consultant with 10+ years experience coaching Founders, CEO’s, C-suite executives, and senior leaders of companies from start-ups to Fortune 500s. She has over 20 years experience in coaching individuals in the personal growth domain as a workshop leader and a trainer. She’s led seminars and workshops to more than 15,000 people globally. Previously Osie was an SVP and Senior Executive Life Coach with Handel Group.
Her expertise includes leadership development, toxic relationship resolution, professional effectiveness, and career transition and expansion. In the education world she has brought our life design method to 8th graders as well as postdocs at New York University, Fordham University and Columbia University. She has coached educational leaders in communities from the Bronx to Long Island.
Prior to working in life coaching, Osie owned and operated a successful business venture. As an executive, she relied on her entrepreneurial spirit, artistic eyes, and creativity to personally pioneer and develop a jewelry line that was later sold to stores owned by one of the largest buying groups in the United States. She uses these experiences in her work training executives, managers, administrators, and students in the language of accountability, helping accelerate and bring resolutions to issues and challenges across a host of different sectors. She is committed to providing leaders and teams with tools that enable them to be empowered and proud, enhance their success, foster inclusiveness, effective communication, alignment, and a collaborative environment.
She has provided executive coaching and leadership development programs in the following sectors: Advertising; Manufacturing; Technology, Finance, Entertainment; Real Estate; Legal: Hospitality; Architecture; and, Fashion.
As a parent of a learning-disabled child, Osie’s deep commitment to assisting parents and families who face similar challenges has enabled many children to secure the life-challenging support services they need, and has provided her own family a model of strength and philanthropy. Growing up in a kibbutz along the shared border between Israel and Southern Lebanon has both emboldened and humbled her. She is fluent in Hebrew and English, politically sensitive, and extremely resilient. She lives in Forest Hills, NY, has two grown sons and a daughter in law. She loves hiking, biking, swimming, and kayaking.
LIFE COACH
Sarah Filler
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Sarah Filler came to Human Better EDU as a client, after navigating some serious health challenges, loss, and multiple moves, including a stint on the Big Island of Hawaii. She quickly learned that when you take action and become the designer of your life, the effects of the work you do for yourself will ripple out into your family, place of work, community, and beyond. Sarah completed the training program at Human Better EDU with a desire to help people of all ages realize that anyone can design the life they want to lead, regardless of the obstacles blocking their path. Sharing that with her clients has brought Sarah incredible joy.
Sarah has worked with children and young adults with autism doing equine therapy, volunteered with the Palliative Care unit of her local hospital, as well as the Seal Rescue Team of the Marine Mammal Center on the Big Island. She loves working with Human Better EDU in the Empowering Emerging Scientists class at Stanford University School of Medicine, in addition to her one-on-one coaching. She recently went back to school to explore Marine Biology, Nursing, and Writing.
Sarah has three girls, all in their twenties, and lives in Northern California with her husband and two dogs, Trusty and Goose. She loves whale watching, horseback riding, running (after the fact), reading and spending time outside in nature.
Board of Directors & Strategic Advisors
PRESIDENT & FOUNDER, HUMAN BETTER
Gaby Jordan
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Gaby Jordan is the President and Founder of Human Better EDU. She has a deep passion for empowering parents, students, administrators and faculty across all levels of education that stems from her own commitment to education and students thriving.
EXECUTIVE CHAIR, UNIWORLD GROUP, INC.
MONIQUE L. NELSON
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Monique L. Nelson is the executive chair and majority owner of UWG INC., the longest-standing multicultural advertising and marketing agency in the United States. As a visionary business leader, Nelson has transformed UWG from a pioneering agency into a global platform for cultural intelligence and creativity.
Since acquiring UWG in 2012, Nelson has expanded the agency's footprint into Canada and Africa, delivering high-impact, insight-driven campaigns across continents. Under her leadership, UWG has evolved beyond traditional advertising to
include The Uniculture Intelligence Network (UIN), a proprietary data platform integrating behavioral, linguistic, and attitudinal insights across diverse audiences; and Culture Labs, the agency's applied intelligence practice enabling intelligent storytelling that drives both relevance and results.
In 2024, she co-founded BLACKWEEK, a global platform celebrating culture, creativity, and commerce. And in 2025, she announced that UWG INC. would serve as the host company for BLACKWEEK Africa, a new, historic market expansion for the platform.
Nelson's leadership was nurtured through previous diverse corporate and organizational experience at Motorola Inc., International Paper, and the Episcopal Church Center.
A respected community leader, Nelson serves on multiple boards, including the Advertising Week Global Board, the Advocates Inclusion Council, and the President's Council for the African American Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey. A proud resident of Morris County, New Jersey, Nelson is married and the mother of two boys. She holds a Bachelor of Science from Vanderbilt University and an MBA from DePaul University.
CEO, AGILE DEFENSE
Rick wagner
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Rick Wagner serves as the Chief Executive Officer for Agile Defense, an innovative IT services and solutions provider. In this role, he leads the organization through strategic transformation with intentional investments in mission-guided innovation, and deliberate M&A to drive Agile Defense to the forefront of the technology consulting market.
Prior to joining Agile Defense, Mr. Wagner led Microsoft Federal, supporting federal agencies of all sizes and scopes as they deliver mission-critical work and embrace technology to achieve objectives and serve citizens. Prior to Microsoft, Mr. Wagner was President of ManTech Mission, Cyber & Intelligence Solutions (MCIS) Group, dedicated to advancing technological services to the United States Government’s Intelligence and Department of Defense communities. Mr. Wagner established ManTech as a leader in Cyber and IT while achieving over 20% growth per year.
Before joining ManTech in 2015, Mr. Wagner was chief strategy officer at TASC, Inc., where he led growth strategy and business development. Over his 16 years at TASC, he rose from program manager/systems engineer to senior vice president of the company’s Defense Group. Earlier in his career, Mr. Wagner held management positions at Lockheed Martin and Raytheon and worked as a software engineer and project manager for the Naval Surface Warfare Center.
Mr. Wagner has been selected to the Washington 100 for three consecutive years, was selected as 2019 Intelligence Leader of the Year and is a 2021 Federal 100 awardee. He is a staunch advocate of efforts that support veterans and has a passion for Early Childhood Education and STEM projects. Mr. Wagner is a member of the Intelligence & National Security Alliance (INSA) Board of Directors and Fairfax Future’s Board of Directors. He was recently appointed as a commissioner to the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority. Additionally, he is a member of AFCEA and the 4×24 Leadership Program of Executive Mosaic.
Mr. Wagner earned a Master of Engineering Management from George Washington University and a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh.
DEAN EMERITA, UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS, AUSTIN
ANGELA M. Evans
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Angela Evans is Dean Emerita of the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin, where she served as dean from 2016–2021 after joining the faculty in 2009. During her tenure, she elevated the School’s national ranking, expanded academic programs, launched new research centers, raised over $57 million, and created initiatives such as the LBJ Women’s Campaign School and the “Policy on Purpose” podcast.
Previously, she spent nearly 40 years at the Congressional Research Service, including 15 years as Deputy Director, overseeing a $110 million budget and 700 staff. She is a Fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration, former president of the Association of Schools of Public Policy and Administration, and a Visiting Fellow with the IBM Center for The Business of Government. She speaks and writes widely on the role of education in public affairs, most recently contributing to Anticipatory Governance (World Scientific, 2024).
SENIOR DIRECTOR, GLOBAL IMPACT PARTNERSHIPS, USA FOR UNHCR
Emily Dery
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Emily Dery is a senior leader in international development and philanthropy with deep expertise in building public‑private partnerships across global health, humanitarian response, and social equity. She is Senior Director of Global Impact Partnerships at USA for UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, leading cross‑sector collaborations with corporate, foundation, and community partners to support refugees and forcibly displaced communities worldwide. She brings a strong belief that well‑designed partnerships—grounded in trust, shared value, and accountability—are essential to advancing durable humanitarian and development outcomes. Previously, she served as Oxfam America’s Director of Institutional Funding and Partnerships, where she led the organization's partnership strategy and team, advanced 7‑ and 8‑figure institutional partnerships, co‑led Oxfam’s Global Innovation Lab for Equity, and guided a coalition shortlisted for $20M USD in MacArthur Foundation’s Equality Can’t Wait competition. Earlier in her career, Emily focused on advancing global health outcomes and achieving health equity. She spent time at Partners In Health, where she built strategic partnerships supporting healthcare delivery, access to medicines and equipment, and resilient supply chains, and led the Global Health portfolio at the Clinton Global Initiative, curating and negotiating multi‑stakeholder partnerships with governments, corporations, donors, and NGOs to strengthen health systems globally. She began her career in international justice and governance at the Coalition for the International Criminal Court, and worked with an Afghanistan‑focused organization supporting women entrepreneurs to scale agricultural businesses. She holds a B.A. from New York University in Political Science, with concentrations in Africana Studies and Middle Eastern & Islamic Studies.
STRATEGIC ADVISOR
jenny knowles morrison
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Dr. Jenny Knowles Morrison comes to Human Better EDU after a twenty-four year career as a Management, Public Policy, Social Entrepreneurship, and International Development specialist. Her most recent faculty appointments have been with the University of Texas’ LBJ School and Texas A&M’s Bush School. She has also taught and developed programming in Southeast Asia and the Middle East and is a cross-cultural specialist.
In her consulting work, Jenny has been an Organizational Behavior, Cross-Cultural Management, Organizational Development, and Change Management specialist. Jenny fell in love with Human Better EDU after piloting coaching and life design curriculum for her graduate students at the University of Texas at Austin.
Jenny is a three-time National Science Foundation awardee and widely published, including most recently in the IBM Center for the Business of Government, “Preparing the Next Generation of Federal Leaders: Agency-Based Leadership Development Programs,” the Social Entrepreneurship Journal, Journal of Public Affairs Education, and Public Administration and Development.
Jenny lives in Austin, Texas and is a mother of 10 and 13 year old daughters. She is a yoga and meditation enthusiast and loves reading and gardening in her spare time.
Jenny holds a PhD in Public Administration from the Wagner School of Public Service, New York University, as well as a master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of Texas at Arlington, and a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Latin American Studies from the University of Texas at Austin.
our core values
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Activation
We inspire others to dream their boldest dreams and take decisive actions to shape their future.
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Insight
We believe self-reflection fuels personal growth, and ensures our actions are in alignment with our deepest values.
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Connection
We see and uplift the whole human, bringing care to every interaction. We know relationships built on empathy, understanding and compassion foster a sense of belonging.
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Ownership
We believe that taking ownership of our results and our experience of life puts you in a powerful position to create the world you want.